


Beast et Beauty

by Elle_chama



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternative Werewolf Lore, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-01 08:18:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16761436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elle_chama/pseuds/Elle_chama
Summary: Some wait a lifetime to find love.Others wait for the next to live it





	1. Prologue

* * *

**1609**

* * *

Alexander pulled the dagger out in a trance. The werewolf growled lowly, but by the time Shamus’s body fell down, the beast turned into a human female. Alexander could do nothing but stare. All Alexander could see was the werewolf crying, desperately trying to stop Shamus’s bleeding. But he was unaware of how numb the werewolf felt from the moment she smelt Shamus's blood. For the werewolf, the world stopped moving and her own injuries became meaningless. It seemed like Shamus's body had fallen down in slow motion into her arms. Suddenly the hunters around her were no longer important. Suddenly all of her senses were completely focused on Shamus.

How did that happen? Why did that happen? Alexander looked at his hand. It was shaking, but he was viciously holding onto the bloody dagger.

The werewolf had pushed Alexander’s mentor and the other hunter apprentice away. The werewolf was weak, disoriented from the silver poisoning her blood. Alexander had clean aim, so he pushed Shamus behind himself.

_Now you see. A good werewolf is a dead one._

Shamus had seen it, he had been attacked as well, so why? Why did he take the fall? Why didn't Alexander use his inhuman speed? Because Alexander wanted that werewolf to look him in the eyes and die. Die like his wife had died when those beasts and vampires attacked his village. Alexander wanted to savor a death. But it was not supposed to be Shamus’s death.

"I am sorry... Kathreena... you cannot die... because of my mistake... don't let them..." Shamus’s voice made Alexander focus on the dying human, who was cradling the beast's face.

"Young master... Please, don't... Don't leave me... Please, don't..." The werewolf replied in between her cries. At that moment the beast looked so humane. Alexander could swear there was regret in those eyes, in those tears rolling from the werewolf's cheeks onto Shamus's. But he couldn't know how much that werewolf was self-loathing, how much she felt like the stupidest being on the planet, because how could she doubt Shamus's sincerity? How could she dare try to attack the only one who had not cast her aside? The one who accepted her even though she was such a monster, a beast. 

"Kathreena... I love you... I will never leave you... If I truly am able to... Reincarnate... I will come back to you... I will... So you cannot die... You must not die... I... Will love you... For eternity," Shamus replied, but his voice was dying away, his body was losing warmth way too fast. Unable to keep looking at Kathreena, Shamus closed his eyes.

Alexander thought of his wife. He had not heard her final words. He was not close enough. He couldn’t hold her like that.

"I will never leave you..." Those were Shamus's last words before his heart stopped. How could a noble child fall in love with an abomination? Were the hunters' thoughts.

Alexander looked at his mentor and his partner. They were looking at the scene with disbelief written all over their faces. They still couldn't believe what they were seeing, the werewolf pressing on Shamus's wound, trying to stop the blood loss. She seemed genuinely torn apart on hoping to save the human and knowing her efforts were in vain. At that point the hunters couldn't know that the werewolf, for the first time since her first change, experienced a cold feeling, for the first time her hands felt like covered in ice, her soul became cold and she felt part of her was dying along with Shamus.

Shamus’s heartbeat stopped.

"Young master... Don't... Please don't!" The werewolf bent over the dead body, crying miserably. "Shamus... Shamus... Don't leave me... Please... I love you too."

The werewolf’s heartbeat slowed. A moment later she looked up, and her desperate eyes locked with Alexander’s. "Please don't kill me... Let me wait... For him... Please..."

Alexander sustained their locked gazes until the werewolf passed out.

Alexander had seen himself over his wife's body.

Alexander let the dagger fall.

That werewolf was capable of loving a human. Maybe Shamus was right. Maybe there were good werewolves out there. What if the werewolves at his village were fighting the vampires? What if they had been trying to help? If the hunters had not fought the werewolves, could his wife had been saved?

Alexander had to know. For that reason, this werewolf couldn't die just yet.


	2. The Meeting

* * *

2014

* * *

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" _Let me wait for him..._ "

The loud cheers of kids startled Shamus awake, erasing from his mind the dream he just had. Their mother looked at him apologetically for all the noise, but Shamus couldn’t really get mad over that because, truth be told, he was also glad to have arrived. Long train rides were not particularly his favorite thing to do in the world. They were an utter bore, not to mention the uncomfortable seats would always leave him feeling sore. With a nod and a small smile, Shamus replied to the woman, indicating he had accepted the apology and that he didn't mind the kids' eagerness. Looking at their clothes and the amount of luggage they were carrying, Shamus concluded they were not tourists. They were probably town folks coming back home from a trip to another city.

While stretching his arms and legs as much as he could, Shamus curiously looked through the window to see what the small town looked like. But he was startled to see fields and more fields filled with flowers. Rows of different colors filled the horizon underneath the celestial blue sky on a fine day. The town he had picked at random was one that specialized in cultivating and selling flowers. Shamus smiled at the beautiful sight and a really welcoming change from all the gray and LED lights Solus was filled with.

When the train finally stopped, Shamus’s heart was pounding fast. He couldn’t really understand why, but he was excited to roam around the small town. He suddenly felt like an elementary kid on a field trip and not an experienced thief running away from his last contractor. The train station was old but very well cared for, there were plants and vases everywhere and every pillar of the boarding area had climbing roses adorning them. The smell of different flowers mingling in the air was fascinating and left Shamus slightly dazed.

Yet, something else had piqued his interest. The tourists that had climbed down the train were all rushing to one point at the end of the platform. They were all taking photos with the statue of a sad looking wolf. Shamus looked at it for a moment and then looked up at the rail. He noticed how the statue was looking, gazing away as if it was waiting for something to come. Shamus thought it was a weird statue, but his considerations on it were sent flying away when Shamus finally exited the platform and entered the ticket hall full of small stores selling trinkets, flowers and other things for tourists. Shamus noticed then that many of the trinkets were wolf-related and sometimes roses were paired together with the wolves.

..•.:*´¨`*:.•.¸¸.•´¯`•..•´¯`•.¸¸.•..:*´¨`*:.•..

That afternoon, Kathreena felt a disruption in the spiritual energy when a strong corrupted soul crossed her barrier—weakening and almost breaking it. The fissures between the human world and the spiritual plane were activated, strong evil spirits were pouring in, called out by the desire to possess said human soul.

Ayasya, the town's guardian spirit, came to her aid, strengthening the barrier around the town, making sure no evil spirit would be able to cross it in pursuit of that human soul. The werewolf left her rose fields to hunt those evil spirits, killing one after the other, absorbing their essence to grow her own. 

..•.:*´¨`*:.•.¸¸.•´¯`•..•´¯`•.¸¸.•..:*´¨`*:.•..

Shamus walked out of the station, wondering where exactly he should go. But the moment he set foot outside, he saw the most beautiful scene he had ever seen in his life. In front of the station, there was the main town square, filled with peach trees in full bloom and flowers of all colors. Spring had only just started, but all the delicate beauty already filled the town. Around the square, there were other stores, restaurants, small hotels, and flower shops. All built in traditional Korean style, making it seem as if Shamus had traveled through time.

A small group of people at the center of the square caught his attention. A statue of yet another wolf had been placed in the middle of a fountain, the animal had been sculpted as if he had climbed the fountain and was howling at the moon. Shamus's curiosity sparked once again when he recognized there was a tour guide leading the small group of tourists. Shamus ran in their direction in hopes of listening in on the story behind the Totem Wolf.

"This was the first statue crafted in honor of the city’s legend, and it is part of the collection of five statues scattered around the town," The guide initiated her tale, not noticing that there was an intruder in her group. "This wolf is believed to be the protector of this town. Local history claims that he was first seen four hundred years ago. The legend says around the year 1600 a rich merchant came to live in this town. His wife had gotten sick and needed the countryside's pure air to live a few more days. The merchant built the most beautiful and biggest house this town had ever seen and from it, he brought prosperity for all living here. It is said that it was his wife’s love of roses that started the devotion of this town in cultivating roses and other flowers, to be commercialized in the capital. That merchant had two sons, the older was a brave boy that loved to explore the woods, and the youngest was a lovely boy that devoted himself to cultivating the most beautiful roses. One night, the previously most influential man of this town, filled with jealousy and hatred towards the kind merchant, set fire to his house, hoping to kill the entire family. But to his dismay a beautiful brown wolf ran from the woods and entered the burning house, miraculously saving all members of the family." The tour guide continued to tell the story getting all her listeners to gawk at the statue in awe.

"It was said that the oldest son had befriended that wolf during his adventures in the woods and after the fire, the wolf was seen much more often roaming through the yard of the merchant’s house, playing with both boys. He was described as the most beautiful creature ever seen in this town, its fur was dark brown, but whenever the sun would shine against it, its fur would turn into a shade of gold..." Said the tour guide. Shamus looked back at the statue understanding why it was made of copper. The metal was a cheap attempt to mimic the legend. "Yet the years passed, because of the wife's death a mausoleum was built right in the middle of the rose field. The merchant got too old to travel, the older son became the one responsible for going back and forth to the capital to sell their flowers." The woman added, pausing now and then for a dramatic effect. The tour guide looked at the train station and pointed at it.

"The statue you saw when you arrived by train tells this tale, it’s said that the wolf became a sad creature whenever the oldest son was away. It would sit by the road and stare longingly at it, waiting for its friend to come back. The legend says that one day the wolf howled loudly, a terrifying sound, before it sprinted through the road. That generation had never seen it again. Months passed and the oldest son had not come back until a messenger came with the news that he had died tragically in an ambush on his way back, his body arriving a few days later. There are those that believed the wolf had felt its friend was in danger and had run to his rescue for the second time, but had not been fast enough. The oldest son joined his mother inside the mausoleum. Throughout the burial process, it's said the wolf had howled, then for years it had not been seen or heard again. Because of the premature death of his oldest son, the merchant, who was already broken from losing his wife, had fallen sick. He died a few years later without seeing the birth of his first grandchild.” The tour guide continued her tale.

Shamus frowned at the tale, why did legends all have to be bittersweet like that? He felt sad for the wolf and the family. Yet questions built up inside of him, the wolf had only protected one family why would it be considered the town’s protector?

"The youngest son, though, continued to live here. He continued with the family business and helped build this town into its greatest glory. He married a local woman and had three beautiful girls. The town was already the number one flower cultivator of the country when the girls were given in marriage. Being a man of strong connections, the youngest son married his daughters into his business associates' families. The girls left town with their husbands back to the capital, leaving their father behind, he refused to leave with them, claiming he wanted to be placed with his parents and older brother. After his death, their house was closed and abandoned with time. It’s said that, every year after the house was closed, the wolf would be seen in the yard on the death anniversary of each member of the family. It is believed to be the same wolf because the beauty of its fur was so very unmistakably unique." The tour guide continued to tell the tale. At that, she pointed in the direction of the hotel to their left.

"At the end of the town, facing the woods to the west, another statue was built. As well as other two; there is one to the north and one to the east. It is said that during the past three hundred years, that same wolf with golden-fur-under-the-sun had been rumored to protect the town. The first indication on this had left the town folks surprised. A group of five males was found nearby in the western woods, their throats had been bitten, as well as their ankles. Their bodies had been clawed at and their deaths were said to be caused by a wolf. Everybody became scared and for days nobody dared to enter the woods to hunt, which was until the magistrate found out the true identity of those men. They were actually a group of assassins that had been terrorizing the neighboring towns. The citizens' feelings towards the incident changed completely, especially since after it, a brown wolf was seen in the yard of the Lynas family house more frequently.” The woman said, adding a thrilling intonation to the story.

Shamus felt a shiver run up his body when he heard the name of the family. Lynas was a very common surname in Kublia, but he would rather have the legend be filled with any other surname but his.

"A hundred years ago, when a pest started to kill people in the nearby towns, was the last time the wolf was seen. For almost a month, it was heard howling in the woods and mysteriously the pest never reached this town. News of it disappearing came in the following months and the citizens believed that it had all been because of that spirit wolf." The tour guide added, looking back at the statue. "Now and then at night, especially during crescent moons, you can still hear a wolf howling in the woods."

That last line had spooked Shamus. Legends should all be in past tense, he wanted to tell the lady, but instead, he decided to move away and explore the rest of the town. 

Shamus bought some canned food and other small utensils for camping, then explored all roads, mapping them in his head in case he needed to perform a hasty escape. Shamus nodded to himself, even though the town was small, he had plenty of different escape routes. Pretty much all the buildings were of a traditional style, the walls separating the houses were easy to jump over. With precautions taken, Shamus picked up a lollipop from his backpack and set off to find the other wolf statues from the town's Totem with a carefree skip.

When he reached the end of town to the north, he saw a long path to the famous Lynas mansion. The abandoned house was just a smudge on the horizon, and beyond it were the woods. Shamus stood beside the wolf statue and looked at it, he was completely unaware that his every move had been followed. The city’s spirit guardian kept following, masking his presence with her own essence in order to protect him. Ayasya knew that face, but she doubted the possibility, deciding to treat him like any other human. That statue portrayed the wolf leisurely strolling towards the mansion. Afterwards, he crouched down and hugged the statue with one arm while still looking at the house. Shamus thought back to his last contractor and smirked. Some part of him had wanted to see the woman's face when she found out her most treasured possession now belonged to Solus Museum of History. "I wonder how much more she will spend to try to kill me again," Shamus mumbled to himself. The more he looked at the house the more he thought that it was the best place to settle for a while. 

Shamus looked at the wolf statue. "So you’ve been guarding it for four hundred years eh? Say, I need a place to stay, you won’t mind letting me rest my bones there, right? I can’t exactly afford to stay in that cute little hotel at the main square. I'd rather not show my beauty in public for a while, just in case that old hag decides to look for me in every village of this country." Shamus spoke calmly, he patted the statue’s head three times in a mocking gesture towards the legend before he stood up. 

Shamus looked around and decided that his best shot of getting into the house unnoticed was getting there through the woods. 

Shamus sighed as he made his way through the woods, always careful to stay on the edge where he could see the fields, guiding himself to the abandoned house. From there he could see the yard and he frowned at the sight of it, maybe it was not a good idea. The yard was nowhere close to being abandoned as it was all filled with roses, beds of different colored roses from near the woods to the gate to the house.

Because of his sudden realization that the house may not be abandoned, after all, Shamus waited patiently till night fell. The yard and the house stayed in complete darkness as the only light came from far above and the temperature turned quite cold. Shamus looked up at the clear sky and saw the full moon shining brightly. A loud howl made Shamus’s hairs stand and a sudden fear made him move. Stealthily he crossed the yard, as he got closer to the wall separating it from the house, Shamus prepared himself and jumped over, making use of the gates. The years he spent running from the police did make his body flexible enough for him to be able to do very unusual things.

Another loud howl made Shamus shiver again, it was somehow louder and closer. Quickly Shamus tried the closest door and to his surprise, it was not locked. He entered the house expecting it to be void of furniture, yet that was not the case. The house was fully furnished and decorated, everything inside seemed to be from the Joseon era and he was extra careful not to touch anything.

Shamus grabbed his night vision glasses from his backpack and wore it. He frowned at everything he was seeing, everything seemed well kept. He couldn’t see spider webs or any other indication that the place was not inhabited. Opening another door, Shamus entered into what seemed to be a living room, as silently as he could Shamus reached yet another door. When he opened it he heard another howl. That one seemed to have come from the yard. Shamus was filled with a momentary fear. Suddenly he wished he had used all of his thief gear. The fear was soon replaced by awe at the sight of the inner yard. There was a fountain in the middle of it and other rose beds, white roses, there were only white roses in them. But, in the middle of the fountain, there was an island filled by a bush with the biggest and most beautiful red roses Shamus had ever seen.

Disregarding the howls, Shamus entered the yard and walked to the fountain. Sitting on its edge, he stared at the roses and tried to reach for one, wondering if it could really be real. 

The town’s guardian panicked when her howls kept urging the human to move closer to where he shouldn’t go. Sprinting as fast as she could, she reached the roof right in time to see the human sitting on the fountain border, reaching out for a rose, unknowingly reaching for his own death. Ayasya was beside him, trying her best to keep the fissure sealed. The evil strong essence from it was swirling around Shamus, an inch more and it would be over for the human, such high-level spirit would be able to possess him right away, the blockage on the fissure just needed to be broken by him touching a rose.

The next second, something hit Shamus. He was thrown to the side mere seconds before he could touch a rose bending over the water. Shamus blinked, disoriented from the pain and the impact of whatever that hit him. He heard a low growling nearby before something blocked his view of the sky. That had to be a wolf, those white fangs, and those golden shining eyes staring right back at him. The werewolf kept growling on his face in an attempt to scare away the minor spirits eating on Shamus’s strong ill-willed soul. 

They looked at each other. The growling stopped, silence filled the yard and time seemed to stop along with Shamus’s heart. He saw that thing distancing itself. Shamus stared, completely speechless at the half human, half wolf creature that was staring back at him from a distance. Shamus had to be dreaming. There is not a werewolf staring at me, Shamus chanted in his head.

Their eyes met, the werewolf’s heart jumped into her throat, wildly beating in utter bliss. She could hardly believe her eyes, there in front of her stood her young master, it was the same soul, the same complexion. But at the same time, it was not her young master, that was not his scent, not his aura. The man standing in front of her was terrified but his aura showed he had a strong innate fighting spirit, if he was to come down he would go down fighting. That’s why his aura was so deeply vice-ridden but he was still sane, still his own man, only a high-level spirit would truly be able to possess him.

"What is your business here?" Kathreena asked, hoping that after the initial fright her young master would scold her for attacking him again, hoping that he would smile and say he was there to fulfill his promise. 

The beast’s guttural voice made Shamus wonder why he had not peed himself yet.

"I… Need a place to stay… just a few days… I need a place to hide…" Shamus found himself saying with a thin voice, scared out of his wits. The truth slipped past his lips as if he had lost his ability to lie.

There was a moment of silence between them. The werewolf felt her spark of elation die away into her usual dull sad darkness. There, in front of her, stood the reason why she was still alive, but the hope she nurtured for four hundred years slapped her on the face. Yes, reincarnation is true, but humans start completely anew, unlike werewolves who can awaken their past-life memories.

"You can stay," the werewolf said in reply as she walked closer. She stopped just a breath away from the one that once, a long time ago, had been her young master. There, in front of her, there was no recognition in those scared eyes looking at her.

"As long as you don’t go out at night. As long as you do not touch my red roses. You can stay for as long as you need," the werewolf added before cradling Shamus’s face with her nearly human hand, careful not to hurt Shamus. The werewolf felt her cold heart breaking some more at the bitterness of her thoughts. Her young master was granted a new life, a new opportunity to live and love, but it was not to live with her or love her. He only came briefly as the last farewell, a bittersweet reward for her devotion. 

"You can stay." It was okay not to be loved, her young master received his opportunity to live a full life, to achieve his dreams, to die with no regrets. It was okay. Kathreena didn’t deserve love or happiness anyway, not when it was all her fault. Her wait was finally over. 

Shamus could swear there was sorrow in those golden eyes. Some kind of pain that made the beast seem a little less scary. Shamus didn't know if it was his imagination that the tone used seemed broken as if it carried dejection.

The beast walked away, crossing the yard as she slowly transformed from beast to completely human form. Ayasya stayed by the fissure, attentively paying attention to the sudden change in her protégé’s aura.

"I’ll show you a room." She said as she reached the door. She looked back over her shoulder. The least she could do was clean the corruption in her young master’s aura, set protections, prevent him from being taken away by those evil spirits now hunting him. It pained her though, to see her young master so scared of her, to see his aura so jet-black. The sooner she was back into the woods, the sooner she could prevent more evil spirits from hunting her young master.

Shamus gulped, still filled with fear, and fearing for his life he moved. It felt like his body was moving on its own. He walked to the werewolf and let the naked woman guide him through the dark corridors and into a room that only had a bed, a wardrobe, and a table, clearly a service room.

"For tonight you stay here, tomorrow you can choose another room." The beast said, the husky velvety human voice somehow calming Shamus’s fear.

Shamus watched as the werewolf lit up a lantern. The beast in human form had a strong built, she was tall, and her back was muscular but her curves were still very much feminine and attractive.

"What’s your name?" the beast asked almost in a whisper. Her tone was soft, almost hesitant. 

"Lynas Shamus," Shamus replied, surprised with how firm his voice sounded. Again he wondered why he had not hesitated, why he didn't consider lying. But Shamus frowned when he saw the werewolf's shoulders tensing up. Then she lowered her head. Suddenly that back seemed to be carrying a heavy burden. That name had denied to the werewolf any sort of comfort with a new name to call, destiny was slapping her on the face again.

Maybe her young master came to find her not to fulfill his promise, but to remind her, she killed him, she owned him. Kathreena felt her whole body tense up. The same soul, the same face, the same name, but they are not the same. This Lynas Shamus was a wicked human, a dark soul, a counterpart. This Lynas Shamus was the answer to her wait; a human’s lifetime is precious—once it’s over, it’s over. Even if the same soul is granted another life, that one soul could become someone completely different. That’s why werewolves don’t try to unlock their past memories, it’s too painful to see someone they loved turn into a stranger.

"I am Kathreena. Kaur Kathreena. If you need anything you can call my name." Kathreena offered, hoping her voice was composed, quickly she transformed to hide her tears. The love of a lifetime doesn’t come back. It’s a futile wish and hope. 

Shamus could do nothing but stare as Kathreena once again shape-shifted. Not into her beastly form, but into a strong and beautiful wolf. The yellow light of the lantern making the brown fur shine in a hypnotizing golden tone.

The legend was not a legend. Shamus realized in another shiver of fear.

On the other hand, Kathreena promptly left the room and the house. Summoning her essence, together with Ayasya, she turned the house into a barrier against evil spirits. She vowed to protect this new life, as she should have protected her young master. For as long as Lynas Shamus would stay, she would clear away the corruption.


	3. The Distance

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When Shamus managed to close the door, he felt overly relieved. Never in his life had he felt so thankful for being left alone. Shamus took a deep breath as he tried to calm his racing heart and lay down on the bed. The spirit wolf the town was so proud of was actually a werewolf. The thought terrified Shamus. Much more because he couldn’t do anything about it. It was not like anyone would believe him if he tried to tell them. Plus, from what he had heard, the beast, Kathreena, had never killed any human. Any good human that is.

Feeling calmer, Shamus sat up to check his side where the claws of the werewolf had scraped him earlier. His abdomen was aching, but there was no sight of blood. His jacket was scratched, but not torn open. The werewolf had hit him to push him away, not to harm him badly. Shamus took off his clothes and then inspected the bruise that was forming, and there was a huge red mark that would soon become purple. Just measuring the size and shape of it, Shamus sighed. He had dealt with worse bruises than that in his life.

Realizing his life had – apparently – not been threatened, Shamus laid back down again. He stared up at the ceiling, finally trying to put his thoughts back in line. He heard a howl from far away - the werewolf had probably gone back to the woods.

Carefully thinking back to what happened, Shamus could only come up with one question. "Why did she let me stay?" Shamus mumbled to himself. He closed his eyes and immediately, he remembered those golden beastly eyes. They seemed sad, they had been sodden with emotion.

Shamus frowned. He was allowed to stay without any explanation; the conditions were, to say the least weird, and even more because Shamus would not have a hard time complying. Well, maybe the one about going out at night would be hard to attend to, as Shamus tend to like ‘stargazing’. Maybe the inner yard was safe to wander as long as he didn’t accidentally touch the roses?

Another howl made Shamus shiver. He turned on his unhurt side and hid under the bed covers. For a moment, he thought he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep. He kept thinking back to those few minutes, thinking back to how the owner of the house had not really looked back at him while she was in human form, how she simply walked away as a wolf, and without paying him any heed. Despite Shamus's initial thoughts of not being able to fall asleep, he slowly started to drift off without even noticing.

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Before the sun rose, Kathreena entered the service bedroom. She spent a moment just staring, wondering how that young man could develop such defiled soul. That darkened aura didn't fit such beautiful complexion. Taking a deep breath Kathreena summoned her essence, with it she covered the human, like a luminous blanket. The darkness fought back, Kathreena could still feel the roots of minor evil spirits maintaining the corruption. Writing patterns over the human's aura she destroyed those links.

After nipping the buds of vice, Kathreena went to the kitchen and prepared breakfast. She wrote an apology card and picked up an enchanted red rose from the fissure. Taking the stem out, she sprinkled spiritual water over it, casting a spell. Whenever Lynas Shamus would interact with roses, his soul would be purified of any level of contamination.

Kathreena stealthy left the breakfast inside the room, then she went to the library. She would pay her debts as best as she could. Taking her young master's journal she read through the notes yet again. Her tears flowing free. The wait is over.

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Shamus woke up hours later with the rising sun, mostly because he had slept without eating anything and the sudden delicious smell inside his room woke his stomach up first. Shamus blinked his sleepiness away before he looked over his shoulder at the door. Right in front of it, a breakfast tray had been left, filled with a full course.

Slowly, Shamus sat up and stared at the tray. He tried to strain his ears in search of any sound that indicated the werewolf was nearby, but he heard absolutely nothing. With a bit of hesitation, Shamus stood up and inched reluctantly to the tray. Sitting on the floor in front of it, he inspected the food. His eyes stopping at a small red rose left at the top corner of the tray, it was just the flower, no stem or thorns. Shamus reached for it, the petals were soft and silky and the smell was still vivid.

"She tells me not to touch the roses, yet gives me one? Weird woman." Shamus mumbled to himself before he noticed there was a card under the rose. Curious, he picked it up and flipped it open, the handwriting was elegant, neat and beautiful.

> || I believe you wouldn’t want to eat with me, so I brought you something. The rose is an apology for hurting you yesterday, please understand I was defending my territory from an intruder. You can go anywhere inside the house and you can visit the yard, as you can leave whenever you want, but while here keep in mind the rules I gave you, for they are for your own safety. K.||

Shamus frowned after he finished reading the note, he looked back at the rose and with his thumb caressed its petals.

"An apology?" Shamus huffed shaking his head. "Guess she's telling me I owe her an apology too." He mumbled before he stood up.

He flipped the note to make sure he didn’t miss anything else and was fairly surprised to see that there were things written on the back, information on where the service bathroom was – the closest to where he was – as well as where the kitchen was in case he didn’t like what he had been served. He was also told he could leave the tray there because Kathreena would get it later.

Another huff escaped Shamus’s lips. He pushed the tray aside before he went back to his backpack to get his toiletries. Silently, he took a shower and changed his clothes. When he was back in the room, he once again sat in front of the tray. He picked up the chopsticks and took a bite. His eyes widened at the taste, the food was indeed well cooked and delicious. If Shamus had not seen with his own eyes that Kathreena was definitely not human, he would have never been able to see past the polite, kind gesture of that breakfast and see her for what she really is.

Once he was finished, instead of leaving the tray in his room, Shamus picked it up and tried to follow the instructions to reach the kitchen. There he cleaned the bowls he had used and looked around the spacious and quite modern kitchen. There were still many signs of furniture and decorations from the Noleon era, but the refrigerator and the stove kind of killed the old era feel.

After a moment of consideration Shamus decided to explore the house, he was after all told he could go anywhere. The mansion was indeed huge, most of the rooms downstairs were places to receive guests for different kinds of public events and celebrations. But one of the rooms did call out to Shamus, the room was smaller than the others and had no windows, only an armchair and a huge bookshelf.

Shamus could tell instantly that the room hid a secret, so he looked around in search of it. He focused on the bookshelf because his lifelong experience had taught him that bookshelves in weird places like that were actually doors to somewhere else. Shamus smirked in triumph when he pulled on a book and that allowed him to push the bookshelf aside. It was indeed a rotating door that led to a much bigger room.

It led him into a library of sorts. The room was double in height. On one side, there were tall and narrow windows occupying the whole extension of the wall, from floor to ceiling. The other was full of bookshelves occupying the entire wall and a mezzanine marking the second floor, accessible through an inner slender staircase. In the middle there were couches, the room had a total western feel to it. Shamus inspected the first shelves closer to the door and he was fairly surprised to see that they were filled with books from four hundred years ago. Going further into the room the books became more up to date until he found books that had been recently released that same year.

Shamus was simply amazed and for some reason or another, he believed that the werewolf had probably really read all that. Shamus looked back at the first shelves thinking that one of those oldest books would cost a little fortune in the black market, after all, there were buyers for practically everything in the world.

Yet something else picked up his interest when he looked back. When he entered the library he had not noticed the room went a little further back. On that side, there was a rapier on the wall. A sword that was probably only for decoration because the hilt was made of a black lustrous metal, the guards, and the arms were designed as a climbing rose, there were leaves and flowers spiraling in the direction of the pommel that was indeed a bigger rose in full bloom.

Shamus walked closer to inspect the weapon, the ring was also a rose, the handle was covered with what seemed to be a kind of black leather. The details of the roses were impressive as if someone had taken real roses and bathed them in that liquid black metal to have them perfectly shaped. Shamus stared at the blade, then he frowned. That shine was unmistakable to him, it was obviously not steel, it was silver. Who would want a blade made of silver? The thought made Shamus shiver.

Silver.

Werewolf.

Shamus took a step back with the will to get out of the room, but the moment he turned around, he saw Kathreena was in the library, on the upper floor staring down at him.

The sense of corruption approaching had awakened her, but at noticing how much it had already lowered satisfyingly, made Kathreena step into the mezzanine and look down for her guest. Out of all things in the library, why he had to be so interested in the sword?

"Her name is Black Rose," Kathreena spoke softly, glad to see the black aura became a dark blue. 

Her voice startled him, he turned around almost stumbling on his feet. Looking up, Shamus could see that a bookshelf over on the werewolf's side was yet another rotating door. Shamus suddenly felt scared, but he was also shocked. The female was really beautiful with a slightly tanned skin, small red lips, kind but sad caramel eyes, and a shoulder-length mahogany undulated hair. She looked like any good-looking female in her late twenties or early thirties. There was no way someone could ever suspect that the woman was not human, but Shamus knew her true form, he had seen it from up close. Some part of Shamus felt he had to run away, but there was something in her, something in the way she seemed so inoffensive that made Shamus unable to move.

"If you like to read, feel free to pick anything," Kathreena said paying attention to the patterns of fear in Lynas Shamus's aura. They were so different, it hurt Kathreena to acknowledge. It hurt so bad. Lowering her eyes she noticed she was still holding her young master's journal. Letting go was the only thing she could do, so she walked away. Putting the journal back where it should be, Kathreena left to the mausoleum, she stayed there for a while, kneeling in front of her young master's statue. Her future was very unclear, Kathreena could feel her balance slipping, her will to live fading. Her cold soul started to wish she could rest, move on to her next circle, get away from the pain.

A frown appeared on Shamus’s face. For a moment it seemed like the werewolf had been slapped, at that moment Shamus was sure he had not imagined things the night before, the beast was sad. Shamus felt like calling the other back, but the words got stuck in his throat. With a sigh Shamus looked back to the shelves, he walked to the contemporary part of the library and chose a book.

He sat on one of the sofas, but he couldn’t focus on any reading, instead, he just kept flipping the pages mindlessly. Part of him trying to listen for any movement on the second floor. Shamus bit his lips as he heard nothing, his senses were so well trained why couldn’t he pick up on a werewolf’s movements? Were they really that fast?

Shamus only knew for sure that Kathreena was no longer in the upper room when he smelt the scent of food being cooked. He quickly set the book aside and made his way to the kitchen where indeed Kathreena had already cut vegetables and meat to make food. Shamus looked at the clock and frowned. His curiosity fueled his courage.

"It’s only ten. Why are you already making lunch?" Lynas Shamus asked with a determined tone. 

"My meal schedule is different than yours, I need more than three meals a day," Kathreena replied, paying close attention to the frying pan in her hand, doing her ultimate best not to look back, doing her ultimate best to treat that Lynas Shamus as the stranger he is.

The reply had once again made Shamus frown, but it made sense that Kathreena would be able to cook, years living alone in that house making more meals than a normal human eat had granted her excellent cooking skills. Again the werewolf seemed like any other human. But there was something about her that felt misplaced. Shamus noticed that the beast had pretty much been more polite and kinder than many humans. The aura of sadness around her also made something inside Shamus waver. As if his fear was battling to get him to leave, but something else was slowly clawing at his heart. Something that made him think it was safe to stay there. 

Kathreena only dared to sneak a glance at her guest when she felt Shamus's courage waver, she looked at the dark blue shades of that aura, she felt it hard to read through it. "What? You thought I would hunt animals in the woods? Or did you think I tricked you so I could eat you later?" She asked with an attempted teasing voice.

Shamus felt cold, a shiver ran up his body and he stiffened. His fear resurfacing with a strong wave. He would be lying if he was to reply no to those two questions.

The small smile Kathreena had attempted to give him disappeared as Shamus continued to be unable to speak. Kathreena felt disappointed, what was she expecting? This Lynas Shamus was just an average human, the moment he would leave Kathreena would alter his memories, make him forget everything about her being a werewolf, a monster. Why would this Lynas Shamus be like her young master, who after the initial fright of their first encounter had treated her wounds and befriended her? Even so, Kathreena could not stop her small hope. The strong gleam of disappointment made Shamus want to apologize.

"I will not hurt you again. I am not a monster… I am just different… I don’t eat humans… the things I hunt at night are things you cannot see… I eat, I breathe and I die just like you. What differs is just…" Kathreena trailed off, trying to find something that the past and present share.

"I don’t want to know… please, the less I know the better." Shamus interrupted feeling scared that he dared to speak. But he felt even more scared of the sudden feeling of thinking if he was to be nice to the beast, maybe the sad aura would go away. Shamus was a lonely soul and it seemed Kathreena was one as well. Shamus was scared their souls would resonate. The last time it happened, Shamus continued on his path with fleeting happy memories, a wounded heart, and an even lonelier soul.

Kathreena silenced, her shoulders dropped. To Kathreena it sounded as a clear _you_ _don't deserve a second chance, don't try to_. What was left of her, what would happen to her, Kathreena was setting her heart as she felt Lynas Shamus's aura expand in courage again. 

Shamus closed his eyes to gather the courage to say what he wanted to say for a while already. Setting his boundaries, telling his brain to be stronger than his soft heart.

"Thank you for letting me stay, it’s just for a few days while I study the area and decide where to go next. The room I am in is good enough, I don’t need to change to another one, and I can deal with my meals. You don’t have to cook for me, actually, please don’t cook for me again. Also, if it’s possible the less we meet the better." Lynas Shamus said in one go. _You don't deserve a second chance, don't try to._

There was another agonizing moment between them when the only sounds were that of the food cooking over the stove.

"Understood," Kathreena mumbled as she had her heart set, her wait was over, it was all over. Once Lynas Shamus was gone, she would move on to her next circle, there was only one person she needed to say goodbye to and it was, really, all over.

Shamus took that as his cue to leave the kitchen. He ran back to the service room and there he stayed till his tummy started to demand food way too loudly. At that Shamus rummaged through his backpack and picked up a set of instant ramen. For as long as he still had those cups he would avoid the werewolf as much as he could.

For the rest of the day, Shamus had not seen or heard the werewolf move inside the house. But at night, the howls were heard, far away in the woods. Once again, Shamus thought those sounds wouldn’t let him sleep, but strangely enough, they had seemed to work as a lullaby because Shamus blacked out and only woke up late the next day. When he looked at the clock in the living room, he saw it was almost noon.

Shamus bit his lips as he made his way to the kitchen. The previous day, Kathreena was cooking her meal at that hour, but as he neared the kitchen he didn’t smell or hear anything. When Shamus pulled the door open, the kitchen was pristine. Slightly hesitant, Shamus boiled some water and prepared his instant meal. He ate quickly always trying to listen for the werewolf’s movements but to no avail. It seemed that he was the only one inside the house.

Somehow curious, Shamus chanced to go upstairs, he looked around the rooms and he could tell that the werewolf had tried to keep the house as it was left. There was a master bedroom, other three bedrooms clearly decorated for girls and a set of five guest rooms decorated with neutral furniture. There was also an office and in it the other bookshelf that led into the hidden library.

The books in the office were all about business and management, and Shamus starred in quite a relief when he noticed that there was a map of the region on one of the walls; a recent map. Shamus spent a few hours studying it, trying to come up with routes to escape in case someone was bright enough to decide to chase him there. Shamus hoped he would be safe for at least a few months. That his last contractor would give up the chase and accept the loss, Shamus caused her, was payment for her own stupidity. After all, who told her she could try to kill the best thief in Korea and walk away unharmed?

After deciding where to go, Shamus thought that it was already time to change his appearance again. Not that it helped much in his escape, it was mostly an act of vanity. Only his recurring contractors knew how he looked like. The police didn't even know what the color of his skin was, let alone his hair. Shamus went back to his room, picked out some hair dye from his backpack and he changed the color of his hair to orange. He would have to buy a new color in the next town, just in case the color would call for unnecessary attention from the female population of the countryside.

Shamus slept, deciding that that would be the last night he would spend in that old mansion.


End file.
